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Harbor Tugs: Photo Gallery
Spanish-American War acquisitions, 1898 (later YT 12-27)

These photographs were selected to show some typical tugs in this group. For more including views of tugs not shown here see the comprehensive NavSource Photo Archive.

Click on the photos to prompt larger views of the same images.

Notes: For larger tugs acquired at this time and retained see AT-46 thru AT-52 on the AT page and the wrecking tug Apache (classified YF-176 in 1920) on the ARS page.

Powhatan. (To Cayuga 1917, to YT-12 1920)
(Photo # NH 43694)

Hercules (To YT-13 1920) at the lower right with Mohawk and the transport Antigone. She was much smaller than the Hercules that is preserved today.
(Photo: NavSource 140801306 leveled)

Active (To Lively 1918, to YT-14 1920)
(Photo: NARA RG-19-N (NH) box 57)

Lively (ex Active 1918, to YT-14 1920)
(Photo: NARA RG-19-N (NH) box 57)

Modoc (to YT-16 1920). At the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 5 June 1926.
(Photo # NH 45946)

Mohawk (to YT-17 1920). At the Philadelphia Navy Yard in the 1930s.
(NHHC, Houser Collection, not catalogued)

Nottoway (Ex Algonquin 1918, ex Accomac 1898, to YT-18 1920)
(Photo: NARA RG-19-N (NH) box 57)

Sioux (To Nyack 1918, to YT-19 1920).
(Photo: NavSource 140801903)

Pawnee (To YT-21 1920). This and Rocket were primarily freight boats but were listed as tugs.
(Photo: NavSource 140802103)

Rocket (To YT-22 1920). Fitting out at Pusey & Jones, Wilmington, Del, 1900. "Ordered placed on list of Navy tugs" 21 January 1903."
(Photo: NARA RG-19-N (NH) box 57)

Tacoma (To Sebago 1900, to YT-23 1920). Probably shown off the Pensacola Navy Yard, Pensacola, FL, in 1898.
(Photo # NH 43688)

Tecumseh (To YT-24 1920).
(Photo: NARA RG-19-N (NH) box 57)

Vigilant (To YT-25 1920). Photographed in 1898.
(Photo # NH 43695)

Choctaw (To Wicomico 1918, to YT-26 1920).
(Photo: NARA RG-19-A-1)

Late Additions, 1898-1911 (YT 102-108)

Notes: Four of the tugs in this group, Balanga (YT-103), Barcelo (YT-105), Iona (YT-107), and Mercedes (YT-108), were captured with the Cavite Navy Yard in 1898. Two others, Christine (YT-106) and Banaag (YT-104), were acquired at Hong Kong in 1902 and 1911 respectively. The last, Alida (YT-102), was purchased by the Navy's Bureau of Equipment in October 1905 just before completion and delivered to its coal depot at Bradford (later Melville) R.I. in November 1905. Her services at the Melville Station Coal Depot were no longer required in November 1919, and after nearly sinking at her pier there on 14 February 1920 she was sold in 1921, beginning a career on the Great Lakes that lasted to at least 1995.

Iona (YT-107). This wooden-hulled tug was captured at the Cavite Navy Yard in 1898 and here has two stars on the bow.
(Photo: NavSource 140810701)

Christine (YT-106) was purchased at Hong Kong in 1902 and was used as a flag launch with four stars on the bow.
(Photo # NH 52460)

Alida (YT-102) as Fred A. Britten (right) in merchant service at Chicago in 1946.
(Photo: Historical Collections of the Great Lakes at Bowling Green State University)

Early deletions, 1898-1919

Notes: These were acquired in 1898 and deleted from the Navy before hull classifications and numbers were assigned on 17 July 1920. One more early deletion was the tug Cheyenne (1898), which was sold in 1900 and lost to a boiler explosion in 1902. Two small freight lighters, Traffic and Transfer, were listed as tugs before being classified as "District Unclassified" (files YX 18-19) in 1920.

Alice (1898-1916) at the Norfolk Navy Yard in September 1900. Like Pawnee and Rocket above, she was primarily a freight lighter.
(Photo: NARA RG-19-N (NH) box 57)

Chickasaw (1898-1913), photographed in December 1900.
(Photo: NARA RG-19-N (NH) box 57)

Nezinscot (1898-1909), photographed circa 1900. Foundered in heavy weather off Cape Ann, Mass., 11 August 1909
(Photo: NARA RG-19-N (NH) box 57)

Seminole (1898-1900) circa 1898 with a probable 1-pounder gun forward. She was transferred to the War Department on 16 March 1900.
(Photo: NARA RG-19-A-31)

Waban (1898-1919) circa early 1900s.
(Photo: NARA RG-19-N (NH) box 57)

Harbor Tugs: Photo Gallery Spanish-American War acquisitions, 1898 (later YT 12-27)

Click on the photos to prompt larger views of the same images.

Harbor Tugs: Photo Gallery
Spanish-American War acquisitions, 1898 (later YT 12-27)